The Levantine Institute Of Tripoli: A New Culturally Immersive Way To Learn Arabic In Lebanon

The northernmost seaport in Lebanon and one of the country’s most historically renowned cities, Tripoli has always stood as a central urban hub for Arab empires throughout history. In the early 19th Century, Beirut merely served as a small fishing village, whereas Tripoli had already become the capital of the Turkish Wilayat of Tarablos, after having prospered throughout Phoenician, Umayyad, Abbasid, Crusader, and Ottoman rule. In 2017, Tripoli still perseveres as one of Lebanon’s most vibrant cities with rich cultural significance. From the Crusader Castle of St. Gilles, to its iconic Clock Tower, to its vibrant souks and mysterious islands, Tripoli is an ode to Lebanon’s true culture and heritage.

Alexandre Khouri, founder of a social entrepreneurship program called Sham Development, tells us about the significance of Tripoli to Lebanese culture and progression, and why it’s the perfect location for a culturally immersive language center. “Many students studying Arabic in Beirut are frustrated with the westernization of Beirut, which causes them to struggle while practicing Arabic in the city and while trying to mix with the local population. Many of them are also politically engaged and would like to have a positive impact during their stay in our country. The Levantine Institute offers it all, including cultural immersion and contact with local and community engagement programs. Tripoli is definitely the right place to learn Arabic, where you need to practice on a daily bases just to get around. It is also a city which has been marginalized for too many years for political reasons, and the time has come to give it justice and promote it internationally.” For these reasons and many more, Khouri and co-founder, Serge Harfouche, opened the Levantine Institute of Tripoli in Zehrieh (LEVIT) in January of 2017 in response to a growing need for effective Arabic language courses in Tripoli. Only a few meters from the city center of Tall, students will be charmed by this district and its inhabitants, and they are sure to be inspired by the area’s immersive roots in culture and education.



In addition to serving as an intensive language education center, LEVIT also serves to provide displaced and disadvantaged children with free education services led by well-educated foreign students. The sad reality is that out of 500,000 Syrian children, only 150,000 have access to public schooling in Lebanon, and increasing numbers of these children drop out of the system due to difficulties with the French and English languages. LEVIT aims to tackle this issue with their community outreach programs, which serve to provide otherwise disenfranchised youth with access to education and language skills that will help them situate themselves more naturally in their newfound home away from home.

For other students, LEVIT serves as a shining light in comparison to other language institutes in Beirut. Just a 50 minute drive from the capital, Tripoli is bountiful with Levantine culture, architectural sophistication, and historical legacy – while simultaneously being a place where accommodation is affordable, with easy access to some of Lebanon’s cleanest public beaches, and where you’ll be delighted at the absence of traffic jams and other well-known Beiruti inconveniences.



Their exchange programs facilitate linguistic educational support for children who have been lost within Lebanese schooling systems. Students who attend LEVIT are bound to leave with long-lasting memories of their time spent in Tripoli, where they may have helped in the volunteer programs all the while mastering their Arabic skills in a setting that allows for complete cultural immersion.


Mural art by Dima Nashawi as an ode to Tripoli on LEVIT’s rooftop

So, if you know of someone, Lebanese or foreign, who is looking to touch up on their Arabic skills in the most effective and culturally enveloping way possible, we recommend you tell them about LEVIT. Nowhere else in Lebanon can you be so deeply intertwined with a community that is foreign to you, where you will be teaching and learning at the very same time – and where you can look out the window and gaze at the majestic beauty of Lebanon’s distant cedar trees while in a city that is both welcoming and inspiring in equal measure.

For more information about their programs, visit their website.